ERS Odyssey: "Et lux in tenebris opera."
The ERS Odyssey is the first and only Odyssey-class vessel, built as a joint project between the ERSN and Maxicorp at the Sirius Protectorate shipyards. It has a weapons complement of one missile launcher, one laser, one pulse cannon, and two customizable weapons platforms called Scylla and Charybdis, which detach from the ship during combat. The ship has a smaller crew complement than a Star Destroyer, despite its size, carrying about fifty souls. It is AI and robot-heavy, possessing several specialized AI and robot Starfighter modules. The ship possesses three Blades (named Circe, Calypso, and Nausicaa), one Apex (Penelope), and one Combat Shuttle (Eurycleia); collectively, its small craft are called "Sirens" and are named for female characters in the Odyssey.
The ERS Odyssey was first launched with the augmented crew of the ERS Reginleif, after their successful return from the Machine Sector. The Earth Republic received a plea for help from the Karabari, a race of humanoids serving a mysterious form of alien technology built by the Chromatic, in the Karabari Sector on the far side of Skelow space. In response, it sent the experienced crew of the Reginleif in a more capable vessel. The ERS Odyssey and the Skelow helped to broker peace between the Karabari and the Abni-S'zaelyn, a member race of the Skelow Trade Federation, after a misunderstanding led to a series of violent recriminations that resulted in millions dead on both sides. After brokering that peace, the Odyssey traveled down into the far side of Skelow space to learn more about the Trade Federation and start its 230 LY trek home. There, it discovered that the Trade Federation was under attack by the mysterious Pyramid Menace, polygonal ships capable of throwing pieces of stellar matter at planets and ships. Due to the Skelow's help with the Liberator threat during the summer of 2155, the Trade Federation agreed it would be hattat to accept the Odyssey's offer of assistance to protect Federation worlds from the Pyramid Menace. The Earth Republic has also agreed to send the ERS Fenris to rendezvous with the Odyssey and join it on the task force, and the Fenris has since begun that journey. In a recent defensive action, the ERS Odyssey crew has received honorary citizenship of a STF world it protected, and the award "Key to the Sector." It also discovered the Abni-S'zaelyn have honored the Odyssey by imitating its military prowess, building a similar ship named the TFS Cyclops.
Like the Odyssey, the naming convention for any future Odyssey-class vessels would be to name them for epics in world literature on Earth (Iliad, Aeneid, Mahabharata), so long as they are not the same name as their hero (which would confuse them with the escort-class naming convention).
The ERS Odyssey is a private ongoing player ship, written by Starship Valkyrie creator, Christian Brown, and running out of Santa Ana, CA. It is a hard-mode ship, featuring delicate diplomatic relationships, difficult high-stakes battles, and cultural discovery.
Officers
CO: The current Commanding Officer of the ERS Odyssey is Commander Teli Kuromoto, former Communications Officer of the ERS Reginleif.
XO: The Executive Officer of the ERS Odyssey was Lt. Teli Kuromoto in the early months of its journey. It is now Lt. Janie Margaret.
CTO: The Chief Tactical Officer of the ERS Odyssey is Rendogon, captain of the TFS High Sail (also docked in the Odyssey hangar) and member of the Skelow Trade Federation. He is accorded honorary Ensign status on the Odyssey bridge.
DAISS Officer: The ERS Odyssey DAISS Officer is Ensign Miley Jones.
CAG: The Chief of Assault and Security is Sgt-Major Samar Kaluna; she is also highest-ranked enlisted officer and longest-serving member of the Star Navy aboard the Odyssey.
Chief of Science: The current Chief of Science aboard the ERS Odyssey is currently vacant.
Retired
Brevit-Specialist RUR 8192, a robot contractor and citizen of the Skelow Trade Federation who departed the ship late in the Pyramid Conflict.
Fun Facts
- The ERS Odyssey is the only ongoing player ship with both a female captain and female XO. Even more fun fact: They're sisters in real life.
- The Odyssey's core crew (those people who appear every game) is the exact same as the core crew of the ERS Medusa, plus the Medusa's favorite NPC. Even more fun fact: The Odyssey's captain and the Medusa's XO are sisters in-game.
- The Odyssey made it five whole games without taking a single hull breach, despite seeing combat.
- The Odyssey has the most ship-based missile launchers (capable of holding more than one missile each) in the total ERSN fleet, due to its weapons platforms both acting as missile launchers.
- It is the only ship with a captain ranked lieutenant for four games straight, due to the fact that the Odyssey was out-of-contact with the fleet and could receive neither a higher-ranking officer, nor someone who could elevate its highest-ranking officer to a higher rank.
- Its CAG is so highly trusted that the Bridge regularly forgets to ask for launch codes.
- All of the Odyssey's crew members could be considered citizens of the Skelow Trade Federation, and the captain has been encouraging this practice as a tactic to emancipate the Odyssey's AI, who had no citizenship status under Earth Republic or Maxicorp law the last time the Odyssey was in Earth Republic space.